Lao People's Laos Sapphire Diamond Engagement Ring 91

Lao People's Laos Sapphire Diamond Engagement Ring.

By Farzana Aamir.

Diamonds were first mined an estimated 6, 000 years ago, in India along the rivers of Penner, Krishna and Godavari. Until the 15th century, diamonds were worn by kings as a symbol of strength and courage. The earliest surviving record of a diamond engagement ring offering dates back to 1477, when Archduke Maximillian of Hamburg gave Mary of Burgundy a diamond betrothal ring. A custom inherited from the Romans, betrothal rings were “truth” rings worn on the third finger of the left hand. The practice of wearing the betrothal ring on this particular finger came from the Ancient Egyptians believed that the vena amoris (the vein of love) ran from that finger directly to the heart.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the “gimmal” i.e. “bond” ring was given as an engagement ring. The gimmal had two rectangular gems, traditionally a diamond and ruby, symbolizing commitment and passion; an exchange reserved for royalty and aristocracy. Posy rings were popular betrothal rings in which traditional sayings, love poems or verses were often inscribed. Less wealthy citizens would give a “Fede” i.e. “faith” ring, similar to the modern day claddagh ring, featuring two hands holding a heart adorned with a crown. In 1518, the smallest diamond engagement ring ever made was given to Princess Mary, who was only two years old at the time, by the proxy to the Dauphin of France.